Heart of Gold
by Creassya1
Summary: This takes place when the gang is in high school. Chandler and Joey are two of the most popular guys in school, Monica's fat, Rachel's also popular, Ross is his usual self, and Phoebe is a little weird, as always
1. Invisible

~INVISIBLE~ BY CREASSYA  
  
  
This is my Hearts Of Gold series. This takes place when the gang is in high school. Chandler and Joey are two of the most popular guys in school, Monica's fat, Rachel's also popular, Ross is his usual self, and Phoebe is a little weird, as always. Throughout this series, I'll take you through their adolescent years, and up into adulthood. I'll also take you through the journey of love between Chandler and Monica, so sit back and enjoy the series:)  
  
  
Monica sat in class daydreaming about nothing in particular, when he walked in. Chandler Bing. Her eyes followed him as he took his seat in the back of the classroom. As soon as he sat down, she turned back around so that he wouldn't notice her staring at him. He was popular, and absolutely gorgeous. She was in class with him for six months, and he didn't notice her. All the girls were after him, and he was dating one of the most popular girls in school. She sat quietly as the room filled with students. A couple of the guys who were on the football team walked to the back of the room where Chandler was sitting, and began having a conversation with him. They often sat in the back of the room and joked around until the teacher entered. When the late bell rang, a substitute came into the room and took his seat at the teacher's desk in front of the room. He explained that their regular teacher would be out for the next three days. He introduced himself to the class and began handing out dittos. Monica immediately started doing her work, while the rest of the class carried on conversations with each other.  
  
After a half hour passed, Monica turned her head around to look in Chandler's direction. He and two other guys were laughing about something. His smile was hypnotic and she couldn't help staring at him. The girl who was sitting behind her noticed, and tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"Monica, stop drooling."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, stop drooling."  
  
"I'm not drooling."  
  
"Oh no, then what's that on the floor?" Sarah asked.  
  
When Monica looked down, Sarah laughed.  
  
"That wasn't funny." Monica said with smile.  
  
At lunch time, Monica and Phoebe sat at their usual table, waiting for Rachel to show up. As she searched around the cafeteria for Rachel, her eyes laid upon Chandler's face. He came into the cafeteria with Joey. Chandler was on the baseball team, and Joey was on the football team. They were only sophomores, but everyone in the school knew them. Joey had a lot of girlfriends, and so did Chandler. He wasn't a heartbreaker like Joey, but he never stay with the same girl for more than two months. She watched him as he walked over to his friends and sat down. Phoebe looked at Monica and smiled.  
  
"Mon, have you even spoken to him before?"  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"You're eyes follow him where ever he goes."  
  
"That's not true."  
  
"Monica, this is me, your friend Phoebe. I know you like him."  
  
"I do not."  
  
"Fine deny it all you want."  
  
"Deny what?" Rachel asked sitting down.  
  
"Nothing." Monica said, looking at Phoebe.  
  
"Come on, tell me."  
  
"We were talking about how much she looooooves Chandler." Phoebe said laughing.  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"You do stare at him a lot."  
  
"Guys, stop it."  
  
"I know him. I could tell him that you like him."  
  
"Don't you dare!"  
  
"I'm just kidding." Rachel said with a smile.  
  
"He would never look at me that way."  
  
"Why wouldn't he?"  
  
"I'm not exactly the type of girl he goes out with."  
  
"So." Rachel said.  
  
"And, I'm not exactly the size of the girls he goes for."  
  
"Monica, don't start with the weight thing again." Phoebe said.  
  
"C'mon, can you picture it, me, the fat girl, going out with the most popular guy in school? He doesn't even know I'm alive."  
  
"Isn't he in your English class?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Yeah, but he still doesn't notice me. I don't even think he knows my name." She said looking over at him.  
  
"C'mon, he knows your name." Phoebe said.  
  
"Whatever." Monica said.  
  
While walking to her locker after lunch, she noticed Chandler and his girlfriend kissing in the corner of the staircase. She quickly turned her head away and hurried to her locker. She gathered her books that she needed for class and rushed off. She couldn't understand what Chandler saw in Cynthia. Sure she was pretty and popular, but she had no character. She was loose, and flirted a lot. She was also bitchy. She didn't understand his taste in women, but she knew that Cynthia wouldn't be around for too long. Chandler wasn't the type to stay in a relationship. One minute you see him looking happy with a certain girl he's with, and the next minute, he's not with her anymore. She took her seat in the middle of the classroom and put her head down on the desk until the teacher was ready to start.  
  
A couple minutes later, she lifted her head up when the teacher told the class to turn to certain page in their text books. She had a difficult time following the lesson because she was thinking about Chandler kissing Cynthia. She wished that Chandler would at least speak to her every now and then. She was sure that he wouldn't notice a fat freshmen. It was easy for Rachel. She's a freshmen too, but she's still popular. She's pretty, and she's a JV cheerleader. Monica and Phoebe didn't have it so easy.  
  
When Monica arrived home, she went straight to her room. Phoebe and Rachel went out for pizza with these two guys after school. They invited her to come along, but she didn't want to feel like the fifth wheel. Instead, she sat in her room looking out the window. Deep inside, she wished that she was a completely different person. When she looked at Rachel's life, everything was perfect. Her family had money, and Rachel got whatever she wanted. Sometimes she wondered why Rachel even hung out with her. Seeing Rachel and Phoebe getting asked out by guys depressed her. People always tell Monica that she's pretty, but she doesn't believe them. She often times felt like a loser, a nobody.  
  
She was grateful for friends like Phoebe and Rachel, but she didn't understand why they liked her. She didn't tell them about her crush on Chandler because she thought that they would make fun of her, and mention that he was out of her league. She was a little surprised when they didn't. They invited her to a party, but she declined. The guy who was throwing the party was rude and arrogant. She figured that if she showed up at the party with Rachel, he would say something obnoxious and hurt her feelings. She didn't want to go through that, so she decided to stay home. Monica was so deep in thought, that she didn't notice Ross standing in the doorway.  
  
"Mon!"  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"What's with you?"  
  
"Nothing. Why?"  
  
"I was calling you, and you didn't hear me."  
  
"What do you want Ross?"  
  
"Are you going to that party tonight?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, I'm going. Rachel's gonna be there." He said grinning.  
  
"How nice for you."  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ross asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"Okay." Ross said.  
  
When he left, Monica went over and sat on her bed. She wanted to do something. She was bored and unhappy with her life. She wanted to party, but she was extremely self conscious about her weight. She wondered if she'd be fat for the rest of her life, not knowing how it feels to be in love with a guy who loves you back, being able to walk up a flight of stairs without running out of breath, and if she'd ever feel good about herself. She often pondered these questions when she was alone with her thoughts. Feeling lonely was depressing, and she hated it.  
  
A few weeks later, Monica was walking down the hall with her head hung low and wasn't paying attention to where she was going, or who she was about to run into. Within seconds, someone had hit her, and her books went flying. Monica blushed when she realized that she had run into Chandler.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."  
  
"It's okay." He said walking off.  
  
He kept looking back at her as he slowly walked down the hall. She didn't notice because she was knelt down with her back to him picking up her books. He felt bad about leaving her there to pick up her things by herself, so he went over to help her.  
  
"Here, let me help you." Chandler said kneeling down beside her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Chandler helped her gather her things and stood there for a few seconds. She was making sure that everything was in place. She felt so down, that she didn't even notice that Chandler was staring at her with a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Monica, are you okay?"  
  
"What?" She asked in shock.  
  
"Is something bothering you? You're not mad at me for knocking your books out of your hand are you?"  
  
"Oh, no. I'm not mad at you. It was my fault. I'm just having one of those days."  
  
"Oh. Well, what class are you going to?"  
  
"History."  
  
"Well, since you're having such a bad day, I'll carry your stuff for you."  
  
"But won't you be late?"  
  
"It's all right." He said taking her books and papers from her hand and transferring them into his.  
  
Monica strolled down the hall, with Chandler carrying her books, and felt a surge of power. She was surprised that he knew her name, and even more surprised that he came back to help her with her books and held a conversation with her. Once she got to class, he handed her her books, and made his way back down the hall. Just having him walk her to class, carrying her books, made her day. For the longest, she felt that she was invisible to him, but that wasn't true. She just felt invisible. It felt so good to be near him, that for a few minutes, she had forgotten that she was fat. Phoebe walked over to her smiling.  
  
"So, I see you got Chandler to walk you to class."  
  
"I didn't get him to do anything, he volunteered."  
  
"I think he likes you."  
  
"Oh please. There's no way that's true. He has a girlfriend, and....  
  
"Don't even say it. I know what I'm talking about."  
  
"Whatever Pheebs."  
  
Phoebe went back to her seat when their teacher returned to the classroom. Monica looked over at Phoebe, who gave her a thumbs up sign. Monica smiled and shook her head. She knew now, that whatever would happen later that day, couldn't top Chandler carrying her books to class for her. Not only did he make her day, he made her week.  
  
A week later, while she was in English class doing her work, she heard Chandler's friends making jokes about her weight. She felt like getting up and leaving the room. She also felt like crying when one of the guys threw a bawled up piece of paper at her.  
  
"Guys, stop it!" Chandler said.  
  
Everyone in the class turned to look at him except Monica. She was on the verge of tears.  
  
"What's gotten into you man?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Nothing. I just think that was mean."  
  
"What's going on back there?" The teacher asked them.  
  
"Jeff threw a piece of paper at Monica." Sarah said.  
  
"Jeff, go pick it up, and don't throw things at people, especially in my class."  
  
When Jeff went over to Monica's desk to pick up the piece of paper he's thrown at her, she covered her face with her hands. She tried hard not to cry. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction. She felt like crawling into a hole, and it seemed as if class had been going on for hours after the paper incident. As soon as the bell rang for class to be over, she hurried from the classroom.  
  
When she got home that day, she sat in her room feeling sorry for herself. She was a little surprised that Chandler came to her defense, but his friends really hurt her feelings. She was getting sick of people making fun of her weight. They didn't realize what it was doing to her inside. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror and hated what she saw reflected there. She went over to the window with tears forming in her eyes and stayed there for hours. She felt like locking herself in her room for the rest of her miserable life. She didn't even feel like eating when her Mom called upstairs for her to join them for dinner. Instead, she just sat at the window thinking about how much better her life would be if only she could lose weight. She knew that she would definitely get respect if she were thinner. When the phone rang, she didn't answer it. She didn't feel like seeing or talking to anybody. Hours later, there was a knock on her bedroom door. When she went to answer it, Phoebe and Rachel were standing there smiling. She let them in, and went back over to the window.  
  
"Mon, what's going on? We've been trying to call you to see if you wanted to come to the movies with us." Phoebe said.  
  
"I don't feel like going anywhere."  
  
"Why not?" Rachel asked.  
  
"I just don't feel like it tonight."  
  
"Monica, we heard about what happened in English class today." Rachel said.  
  
"Sarah told us."  
  
"Great, I suppose the whole school knows about the popular guys picking on the fat girl."  
  
"Monica, why didn't you tell us?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Because, it's embarrassing. You don't have to go through this. You're popular. Everyone loves you."  
  
"Monica....  
  
"You could go out with any guy you want. They don't pick at you."  
  
"I can't have every guy I want Mon, that's ridiculous."  
  
"Monica, we're here for you. Don't let people like that get the best of you. They may be popular, but they're jerks." Phoebe said.  
  
"That's right. We still love you, no matter what your size is." Rachel said.  
  
"Thanks guys." Monica said smiling.  
  
Phoebe and Rachel got up and hugged her.  
  
"Now, let's go to the movies!" Phoebe said.  
  
  
  
WE TAKE A LOOK AT CHANDLER'S THOUGHTS IN  
  
EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER 


	2. Emotional Rollar Coaster

EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER   
  
BY CREASSYA  
  
  
  
This takes place after Invisible. Monica has been having a difficult time with her being fat and all. It didn't help matters when Chandler's friends made fun of her and threw paper at her. Chandler stood up for her, but that was over shadowed by the insults she heard coming from Chandler's friends. She sat in her room that day feeling sorry for herself, and hating the person she was. Now we'll take a look at how Chandler views things and himself.  
  
  
Chandler slapped the alarm clock and it fell to the floor. He sat up rubbing his eyes trying to gather himself. For the most part, he liked school, but he didn't feel like going today. He didn't want to face his friends after what happened the day before. At first, he wasn't going to say anything about how his friends were making fun of Monica, but he felt bad for her, and it angered him that his friends could be so insensitive. She was such a sweet girl, who didn't deserve to be picked on. When he saw her sitting at her desk with her hands over her face trying to suppress her tears, he wanted to go over and hug her. It wasn't that he felt sorry for her, but somehow he was feeling her pain. It was obvious that things didn't come easy for her. He stood up and stretched a little. He shook his head, trying to clear it, but all he could see, was poor Monica putting her hands to her face, to hide the embarrassment that she was experiencing, and then hurrying from the room as quickly as possible. He was really angry with his friends for making her feel that way. He didn't mean to yell at them, but his emotions got the better of him. They looked at him as if he had transformed himself into someone else before their very eyes. He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.  
  
He took off his clothes and let them fall to the floor. He slowly stepped into the shower and welcomed the hot water that was pouring down on his body. He let the hot water hit his face as he closed his eyes. He wished that he could stay there for the rest of the day. Even though he was popular and seemed happy, he wasn't. Popularity didn't mean anything to him. He mainly wanted to play sports and do well in school. The other stuff wasn't important. Once he was done taking a shower, he brushed his teeth and dressed quickly. Joey would be over to pick him up any minute now. He went downstairs and grabbed himself a piece of fruit and headed out the door to wait for Joey. He was glad that he didn't run into his mother this morning. She had her boyfriend over and they had kept him up almost the whole night. His mother was making so much noise, that he had to sleep with his headphones on. He hated all of her boy toys, and she knew it. She wasn't home that often, but when she was, she always had company, and no time for him. As much as he hated his mother's ways, he dated women who were very similar to her. He was beginning to see a pattern and it frightened him. He didn't want to end up with a woman that reminded him of his mother. Thinking about that depressed Chandler. Suddenly Joey pulled up and interrupted the rest of his thoughts. He got into the car and Joey sped off.  
  
As he and Joey walked into the school, he spotted Monica's brother Ross. He didn't know him very well, but he wanted to go over and ask how Monica was. As Chandler was walking towards him, his girlfriend Cynthia came up to him from behind. He turned around and she grabbed his face and kissed him. When she pulled away, she smiled at him.  
  
"So, are you taking me out tonight?"  
  
"Hello to you too."  
  
"Hi. So are you?"  
  
"I'll think about it." He said.  
  
"Chandler, we haven't been out in a week."  
  
"Don't start!" He said angrily.  
  
He stepped back away from her and then walked off leaving Cynthia standing in the middle of the hall with a surprised look on her face. He had never snapped at her like that. She wondered what had gotten into him all of sudden.  
  
During English class, Chandler noticed that Monica was absent. He wondered if she had cut class or if she was absent from school. He was hoping that she was in school. He wanted to see if she was all right. His friends seemed to have forgotten about the other day, but he hadn't. He didn't understand why he was so worried about Monica's feelings. His friends didn't pay much attention to him, which he was glad about. He didn't feel like being bothered. On the way to school, Joey wanted to know what was bothering him. He couldn't give him an answer because he didn't know why he was in a bad mood. He went through the rest of the day not wanting to be bothered. Today was one day that he wished he weren't popular. People acted as if he weren't allowed to have a bad day. He was expected to be funny and charming all the time. It pissed him off.  
  
At the end of the day, Chandler noticed Rachel and Phoebe walking down the hall towards the exit, so he ran down the hall to catch them. When he was close enough behind them, he walked until he was side by side with Rachel.  
  
"Hey Rachel, Phoebe."  
  
"Hey." Rachel said with a frown.  
  
"Listen, I wanted to know if Monica was in school today. I didn't see her in class."  
  
Phoebe and Rachel looked at each other in surprise. Chandler noticed this but decided not to pay any more attention to it.  
  
"No, she didn't come to school today." Phoebe answered.  
  
"Why?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Oh, well, I just wanted to make sure that she was all right. Did she tell you two about what happened in class?"  
  
"Sarah told us."  
  
"Well, is she okay?"  
  
"Well, we're going over to her house, you can find out." Rachel said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Phoebe and Rachel again looked at each other in surprise. A half hour later, Chandler was sitting in the living room waiting for Monica to come downstairs. A couple minutes later she was coming down the steps looking really nervous. She went over to the couch and sat next to him.  
  
"Hi." She said shyly.  
  
"Hi. I noticed that you weren't in school today. Is everything okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"I just want to apologize for my immature friends. They shouldn't have treated you like that."  
  
"It's okay. I'm used to it."  
  
"No, it's not okay. I'm sorry you had to go through that." He said looking at her with her head down.  
  
"Thanks." She said with tears in her eyes.  
  
When she looked at him, he held her hand noticing her watery eyes.  
  
"I won't let them make fun of you anymore." He said with a slight grin.  
  
"Thanks a lot Chandler." She said smiling.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"You're a really nice guy."  
  
"Well, I try to be." He said playfully.  
  
"I'm kinda surprised that you're here."  
  
"I know." He said smiling. Listen, we're having a party this weekend. You should come."  
  
"We?"  
  
"Me and Joey."  
  
"Oh okay."  
  
"So, are you gonna be there?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Well, just think about it."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Chandler stood up to leave. Monica walked him to the door, and thanked him again. When he left, she stood in the living room with a huge smile on her face.   
  
Chandler walked out the house feeling good about himself. He felt much better knowing that Monica was feeling better. It was obvious that Monica had low self esteem. He understood that because he didn't think too highly of himself either. Sure he was popular, played baseball for the school, and always had girls asking him out, but his self esteem was just as low as Monica's. He was able to identify with the way that she felt. He was able to look into her eyes and see that she was lonely and misunderstood. He also noticed the hurt that reflected in her eyes. It was a feeling he knew all too well.  
  
Chandler walked into his house with a smile on his face, but it instantly disappeared when he saw his mother's boyfriend sitting on the couch in his underwear and a T-shirt. It wasn't something he wanted to see as soon as he walked through the door. He glared at him and headed straight to his room. He was glad that he didn't bring his friends or girlfriend over. He would have been really embarrassed. He sat on his bed wishing he were in another place, far away from everybody. Lots of people looked up to him because his mother had money and he was popular. Nobody really took the time to look past all that to see the real Chandler, and it bothered him. He had lots of friends, but they didn't really know him.  
  
He was tired of being on an emotional roller coaster. One minute he was sad, and the next minute he was happy. He went from being happy, to angry, and then experiencing the feeling of loneliness. People would never understand how someone as popular as him, with a girlfriend, could be lonely. For the most part, he kept his unhappiness to himself, and at times, it made him feel worst.  
  
Chandler was talking to Joey and his other friends, when he saw Monica walk in with Phoebe and Rachel. The party was already crowded at 9pm. Chandler broke away from his friends and went over to greet Monica, Phoebe and Rachel. When he made his way over to them, Monica smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you made."  
  
"You have no idea what it took to get her out of the house." Rachel said.  
  
"Rachel!"  
  
"It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you came."  
  
Phoebe and Rachel looked at each other and smiled.  
  
"Well, see you later Mon." Phoebe said as they hurried off into the crowd.  
  
"So, what did they have to go through to get you out of the house?"  
  
"I'd rather not say." Monica said shyly.  
  
"Okay." He said grinning.  
  
After an hour had passed, Chandler finally left Monica's side and went back over to his friends. While he was laughing and talking with them, he noticed that Monica was having a good time. She didn't dance, but he was glad that she was enjoying herself. She stayed pretty close to Phoebe and Rachel, being that she didn't know very many people.  
  
"Dude, I still can't believe you invited Monica, she's like, nobody, and Phoebe is totally weird." Jeff said.  
  
"If you don't like it, you can leave." Chandler said angrily.  
  
"Why are you getting so mad?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Because, you're pissing me off, that's why. Why do you always have to put people down?"  
  
"Chandler, what's going on with you?"  
  
"You wouldn't understand." He said walking off.  
  
Chandler didn't know why he invited him. The more he hung around Jeff, the more he was beginning to dislike him. At that moment, he wanted to send everybody home. He didn't feel like being bothered. He went outside for a little quiet, and shortly after, Monica came up behind him.  
  
"Chandler?"  
  
"What?" He asked angrily without turning around to see who was calling him.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone." Monica said.  
  
He turned around and noticed that it was Monica, and gently grabbed her arm.  
  
"I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"I will be."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm just realizing that I can't stand some of my friends." Chandler said angrily.  
  
"Did you wanna stay out here by yourself?"  
  
"I don't mind the company."  
  
"So, what's bothering you?"  
  
"I just told you."  
  
"I know I don't know you that well, but I can tell that something else is bothering you."  
  
"You can? How?"  
  
"It's written all over your face."  
  
"Didn't know that." He joked.  
  
"It's not that hard to tell."  
  
"You don't wanna hear my problems."  
  
"Why wouldn't I?"  
  
"I don't know. I guess I just don't like to talk about myself."  
  
"I don't mind."  
  
"Okay....well, I hate my mother's boyfriends. I mean, she goes through about 6 guys a year. I came home one day and found boyfriend number nine hundred and ninety-nine sitting on the couch in his underwear."  
  
"Ewwww." Monica said.  
  
"I know, I'm just glad I didn't bring company home."  
  
"So, where's your girlfriend?"  
  
"What girlfriend?"  
  
"Cynthia."  
  
"She's my ex-girlfriend now."  
  
"Oh. How come? If you don't mind me asking."  
  
"I just started realizing that I go out with girl who are like my mother, and then I end up resenting them."  
  
"I see. Makes sense."  
  
"Thanks." He said grinning.  
  
They stood outside for hours talking while the party was still going on. It felt good having someone to talk to about how he was feeling. Nobody else seemed to care. He told her everything, and she listened. He wondered why he never saw how sweet she was until recently. The school year was almost over and he had never spoken to her almost the entire year. He didn't understand how anyone could treat her so bad. He knew that from that night on, he had a friend in Monica Geller.  
  
When the party was over, he sat and talked to Joey.  
  
"You didn't see anything wrong with me inviting Monica right?"  
  
"Of course not. Why should I?  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Look, I'm not Jeff or your other so called friends. I have a heart." Joey said.  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"Well, I have a busy night ahead of me. I got five phone numbers." Joey said grinning.  
  
"And you have a heart right?" Chandler said sarcastically.  
  
"Of course!"  
  
Chandler went up to his room when Joey left. He was glad to have everybody gone. He needed some peace and quiet. He laid on his bed and put his hands behind his head. He didn't worry about what his friends might say to him on Monday. Instead, he relaxed. He figured that Monica would make a better friend than Jeff would any day. She was the sweetest person he had met in a long time. Despite her being overweight, she had a really pretty face, which is something he didn't realize until she ran into him in the hall. He thought that she had the prettiest blue eyes he'd ever seen. He was a little surprised that she came outside to see if he was all right. He didn't want to tell her that he was pissed off at Jeff for insulting her again. He remembered how sad she looked when he was helping her pick up her things off the floor. She looked as if she was about to cry. He knew that if he told her what Jeff had said about her, he would have seen that same expression on her face. He didn't invite her to the party for that. He wanted her to have a good time. He felt that she deserved it. Minutes later, he heard his mother's voice. He closed his eyes knowing that she would come into his room. Seconds later, she opened the door, and seeing that he was asleep, she closed it back. He waited until she was down the hall before he opened his eyes again. He didn't want to bothered with her. He laid on the bed for the remainder of the night thinking about things, and soon fell fast asleep.  
  
  
THE NEXT ONE'S CALLED.......  
  
THE NEW MONICA 


	3. The New Monica

THE NEW MONICA`  
  
BY CREASSYA  
  
  
  
This takes place after Emotional Roller Coaster. Chandler and Monica got to know each other a little better. Chandler is going through a transitional phase, and is beginning to realize a lot of things about himself and others around him. A new school year has arrive and the girls are no longer freshmen, and the guys are now in their junior year.  
  
  
Monica looked at herself in the mirror, with a new air of confidence. It was the first day of school, and she was ready. Rachel had helped her pick out school clothes to match her new image. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, wishing time would speed up. There was one person in particular that she was excited to see. She hadn't seen him all summer because he was forced to spend the summer with his mother in Rome. She wondered how he would react to her new look. She really didn't care too much about what anyone else would think. As she was twirling around, looking at herself from every angle, Rachel appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Mon, let's go." Rachel said smiling.  
  
"Lincoln High, here I come!" She said walking out of her room.  
  
Monica instantly got stares from people as she, Phoebe, and Rachel, entered the school. Phoebe went to homeroom, while Monica and Rachel went to their lockers. Seconds after she got to homeroom, the teacher told her to report to her guidance counselor about her schedule. When she left, everyone looked at each other in surprise, except for Rachel, who was smiling.  
  
Monica was fifteen minutes late for English because her schedule was messed up and so were other kids schedules. She slowly walked into the classroom, and all eyes fell on her, including the teacher that she had last year, who was in the middle of a sentence when she entered. She was happy to see that Chandler was in her class again this year for English. She also saw Sarah sitting in the second seat from the door.  
  
"May I help you young lady?"  
  
"Mr. Styles, it's me, Monica Geller. Sorry I'm late, but I had to get my schedule fixed." She said handing him an excused late from the guidance counselor.  
  
"Oh, okay." He said looking at her as she took her seat.  
  
Chandler had his eyes glued to her for the entire class period. He couldn't believe that was Monica. He wondered how much weight she had lost over the summer break. He thought that she was pretty while she was fat, but now she was gorgeous.  
  
While Monica was doing her work, Sarah tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to face her.  
  
"You look so pretty. I just wanted to tell you that."  
  
"Thanks a lot."  
  
"And also, Chandler's been staring at you since you walked in." She said smiling.  
  
Monica looked over in Chandler's direction and waved at him. He smiled and she continued to do her work. This is amazing, she thought to herself. The guys who were making fun of her before were gawking at her when she made her entrance into the classroom. She was so happy that she wanted to scream.  
  
Chandler watched her as she crossed her legs. She was wearing a tight fitted blue shirt, with a red skirt. He tried turning his attention back to his school work, but it was impossible. She was distracting him without even knowing it. He noticed that his friends were staring at her when she first came in. He looked around to see if they were still staring at her, but they weren't. He was the only one with his eyes locked on her.  
  
When class was over, he hurried out of the room to talk to her. She sat in the front of the room next to the door, and he sat in the back near the window. He caught up with her as she slowly walked down the hall.  
  
"Hey Mon."  
  
"Hi Chandler."  
  
"You look....amazing." He said.  
  
"Thanks. So, how was your summer?"  
  
"Awful."  
  
"Oh, sorry to hear that."  
  
"I see that you had an okay summer."  
  
"Yeah, I did."  
  
"That's good. I'm having a back to school party this weekend. You coming?"  
  
"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it."  
  
"Good. I'll see you later." He said grinning.  
  
Monica watched him as he walked away. He had a coolness about him that made him irresistible, not to mention, his charm and good looks. She loved when he put his hands in his pockets all the time. She figured that it was by force of habit, and she wondered if he was aware of how often he did it. She thought it was cute. She watched him as he turned the corner. She turned around and noticed that two guys were staring at her. She smiled and walked down the hall to her locker.  
  
At the end of the day, she met Phoebe and Rachel at Phoebe's locker. It was such a strange day for her. She had been asked out by four guys, when normally guys ignored her. She still found it hard to believe that Chandler talked to her now, and was inviting her to parties. She appreciated him more than the other guys who now took notice of her, because he noticed her when she was fat. They were becoming friends, and that made her happy, even thought he showed no romantic interest in her. She was thrilled to have the kind of friendship he was offering.  
  
Later that night, Chandler and Joey were sitting in Joey's room watching TV and talking about who they wanted to invite to Chandler's back to school party.  
  
"Dude, did you see Monica today?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah, she's in my English class again this year."  
  
"Is she looking hot or what?"  
  
"Yeah, she is."  
  
"You invited her right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Niiice!"  
  
"Don't get any ideas Joey."  
  
"Ideas about what?"  
  
"C'mon Joey."  
  
"What, you mean about asking her out?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You like Monica?" Joey asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Okay, now who's playing dumb?" Joey said.  
  
"I like her as a friend."  
  
"It makes sense now. When people said anything negative about her, you got offended, even before she lost weight."  
  
"I did not. I just thought they were being mean."  
  
"You got a crush on Monica."  
  
"Whatever Joey."  
  
"Hey, I don't blame you." Joey said grinning.  
  
When Chandler returned home, he sat at his desk and thought about what Joey had said. He smiled to himself realizing that he did have a crush on Monica. It was weird because it came from out of nowhere. He wanted to hear her voice all of a sudden and wished that he had her phone number.  
  
Monica sat at her window sill and began to write in her diary.  
  
Okay, were do I start? Well, the first day of school turned out to better than I expected. I still can't believe that I was asked out by four different guys, who were all cute. I was flattered to be asked out, but it's all so superficial when you think about it. Nobody really gave a damn when I was fat....except for Chandler that is. He took time out to make sure that I was okay when his friends were making fun of me. That day was so embarrassing for me. I was so close to tears, but willed myself not to cry in front of the class. I knew that if I turned my head to look at him, I would have surely burst into tears and ran from the room that day. I never expected him, of all people, to come to my rescue. It totally surprised me. I always thought he was gorgeous, but didn't think that he was that sweet. When he came over to my house the next day to see how I was, he squeezed my hand when I was on the verge on crying. I didn't want him to let go. It meant a lot to me that he cared. The night of the party, I got a real glimpse of the real Chandler, he didn't allow anyone else to see. It seemed as though he had everything, but I realized that he didn't want everything. He wanted to be understood by his mother and father, and he wanted friends that he could be himself around. I had only talked to him like that once, and I found out a lot about him. I found out that he was just as sad as I was, which was something he was so good at hiding from everyone.  
  
When he was talking about how he wished that he and his Mom had a better relationship, I felt really bad for him. He sounded so sad when he told me that she often times put her boyfriends feelings ahead of his own. He also told me in confidence that his father's gay, and that when he and his mother found out, he abandoned them. He said that he looked forward to school because it was an escape from his depressing home life. This is a guy who's gorgeous, popular, and can have any girl he wants, but none of that matters to him, which surprised me. I felt honored that he confided in me about those things, and that I was the one only one who knew what was going on inside his head. He shared things with me that he didn't even tell his closest friends, or girlfriends. I wanted to hug him when he was talking about his Mom. Not just to be in his arms, but to comfort him.   
  
I wonder what he's doing right now. I also wonder if we'll become good friends. I certainly wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind having him as a boyfriend either, but that's never gonna happen, so I'll settle for being his friend. It couldn't hurt. He seems to be pretty understanding and sweet. Besides, it'll be nice to have a guy friend for a change.  
  
Monica  
  
Three weeks later, Chandler saw Monica walking down the hall with John Sanders. Chandler didn't have anything against him, but he didn't trust him. He was the type of guy who smiled in your face one minute and stabbed you in your back the next. Monica looked as if she was about to drop her books, so Chandler walked over to them and took them out of her hand.  
  
"Thanks Chandler." Monica said smiling.  
  
"Hey Chandler." John said.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Chandler started a conversation with them, and wondered why John didn't help Monica with her books. The way that John was looking at her, Chandler could tell that he only interested in one thing, and it wasn't her personality.  
  
"Hold on, Rachel's waving at me." Monica said walking down the hall towards Rachel.  
  
"So, you like Monica?" Chandler asked.  
  
"Yeah, she's gorgeous." He said grinning.  
  
"Yeah, inside and out."  
  
"I'm not concerned with the inside part."  
  
"You're not?"  
  
"Of course not. I don't look for brains."  
  
"I'm not talking about brains. She's a sweet person." Chandler said.  
  
"Whatever. You think she's easy?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh don't play that role with me Chandler. I know how you are. You've had lots of girls. You know these things."  
  
"Monica's not that type of girl."  
  
"Have you tried her already?"  
  
"No."  
  
They stopped talking when they saw Monica walking towards them. While Monica seemed to be taken in by John, Chandler stared at him as if he were about to hit him. Neither Monica nor John noticed this. Chandler wanted to warn her about him, but how?  
  
  
  
  
COMING SOON........  
  
FIERCELY PROTECTIVE 


	4. Fiercely Protective

FIERCELY PROTECTIVE  
  
BY CREASSYA  
  
  
This takes place after The New Monica. Monica has lost weight and everyone has taken notice. She's now getting asked out by guys, which is okay for her, but doesn't sit too well with Chandler. There's one guy in particular that he doesn't want around her who admitted that he only wanted one thing from her. He doesn't know what to do about the situation, or how to tell Monica about it.  
  
  
Monica sat in the lunch room with Phoebe and Rachel. She was looking across the room at Chandler, who was talking to his friends, minus Jeff. She loved to see him smile, which he did a lot of. With her eyes locked on him, he looked up and noticed her looking at him. He smiled at her and she waved. Every time he smiled at her, she melted and wanted to kiss him. It felt good to finally be noticed by Chandler. She finally turned her gazed away from him when John Sanders approached her. He sat down and put his arm around her. She liked John and thought that he was cute, but he wasn't Chandler. He had something about him, that no other guy had. He was special.  
  
Chandler watched as John sat next to Monica, with his arm around her and bawled up his fist. He couldn't stand John being so close to her. He didn't want Monica to get hurt. He stood up, feeling like he should do something. He needed an excuse to go over there. He tugged on Joey's shirt and asked him to go over to Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel with him. He got up with Chandler, and they walked over to their table.  
  
"Hey ladies." Joey said flirtatiously.  
  
"Don't mind him." Chandler said, taking a seat across from Monica and John.  
  
Joey sat next to Rachel and smiled at her.  
  
"Oh stop it Joey." She said hitting him on his arm.  
  
"So, how's it going over here?" Chandler asked looking at Monica.  
  
"Everything's fine. Why?" Monica said.  
  
"What are you guys doing tonight?" Joey asked.  
  
"Nothing, why?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"We can come get you guys to go skating." Chandler said.  
  
"Oh, that sounds like fun, but I don't know how to skate." Monica said.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall." John said softly.  
  
Phoebe and Rachel looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Neither of them liked John. They didn't trust him. Rachel was on the verge of saying something smart to him but decided against it. Chandler felt like kicking him from underneath the table. He sounded so fake. John noticed Chandler glaring at him, but didn't say anything. He wondered what his problem was.  
  
"So, what time should we be ready?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Let's make it for seven." Chandler said.  
  
"Cool. We can meet at Mon's." Rachel said.  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Monica said.  
  
"Good."  
  
During fifth period Science, Chandler sat there with his work all finished, thinking about how he should tell Monica about John. He was so deep in thought, that he didn't hear when the bell rang for class to end.  
  
"Chandler? Did you want to stay here?" The teacher asked.  
  
"Oh." He said getting up.  
  
He felt embarrassed as he left the classroom. While walking down the hall, he noticed John standing near Monica's locker waiting for her. He went over to have a few words with him.  
  
"Hey Chandler."  
  
"So, you waiting for Monica?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, are you and Monica...  
  
"Is she my girlfriend?" John said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"She is." He said with smirk.  
  
"Look, Monica's a very sweet person. Don't hurt her."   
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't pretend to care about her when you don't. We both know that you're only after one thing."  
  
"That's none of your business."  
  
"Well, I think it is. You made it my business when you told me what your intentions were." Chandler said inching towards him.  
  
"Look Chandler, this has nothing to do with you."  
  
"See that's where you're wrong. It has everything to do with me. She's my friend, and I'm looking out for her."  
  
"Whatever Chandler."  
  
"If you hurt her, you'll have to deal with me. So if you don't wanna have to deal with me, just walk away from her now."  
  
"You think I'm worried about you?"  
  
"You should be." Chandler said walking away.  
  
Ross was standing five lockers away and herd the entire conversation. It surprised him that Chandler was defending Monica like he would, or like a boyfriend would. He barely knew Chandler, but he liked him already.  
  
Later that night Monica was in her room waiting for Phoebe and Rachel, so that Chandler and Joey could pick them up to go skating.  
  
"Hey Mon, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ross asked peaking his head in the door.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well.....  
  
"Hey Mon." Rachel said coming in with Phoebe.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
When Phoebe and Rachel came in and sat down, Ross looked at Rachel and smiled. He didn't want to tell Monica about the conversation Chandler had with John in front of them.  
  
"I'll talk to you later Mon." Ross said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Mon, I wanted to ask you a question." Phoebe said looking from Monica to Rachel.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Why are you dating John?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you like Chandler." Rachel said.  
  
"C'mon guys. I don't have a chance in hell with Chandler. Besides, John's cute, and he's nice."  
  
"Why would you still think that you don't have a chance with Chandler?" Rachel asked.  
  
"I don't know. I mean, I've lost weight and everything, but he's popular, and....I don't know, I can't explain it."  
  
"So, do you like John more than you like Chandler?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, there you have it." Phoebe said.  
  
"Guys, forget about it. It's just a crush. People grow out of crushes."  
  
"So, you think you'll get over him?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, and anyway, it's time to go downstairs to wait for them." She said getting up and heading for her door.  
  
"Okay, we'll let you off the hook this time." Phoebe said smiling.  
  
Phoebe and Rachel liked Chandler and wanted to see them together instead of her being with John. They felt that John was phony and didn't really care about her, but they didn't know how to tell her how they felt about him. Phoebe felt that it was best for them not to mention their feelings about Monica's boyfriend so that they wouldn't offend her or make her think that they weren't being supportive of her.  
  
As soon as they arrived downstairs, Judy let Chandler in. He spoke to everyone and they soon left.  
  
Monica was putting on her rented skates, when Chandler went over to the counter to get his. When he got them, he looked over at her. She was beautiful. He thought about the dream he had about her a few night ago. He dreamt that they were walking along the beach holding hands and talking. Soon after, they were sitting in the sand and he gazed into her eyes and touched her face gently. As soon as he leaned in to kiss her, his alarm woke him up.  
  
He walked over and sat next to her.   
  
"Need help?"  
  
"Out here, no. In there, yeah." She said.  
  
"Just hold on to me, I'll go slow."  
  
Monica blushed when he said that, and so did he.  
  
"You won't let go?" She asked.  
  
"Nope."  
  
Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey were already skating when Chandler and Monica made their way on to the floor. He held her hand tightly making sure that she was able to steady herself. He began skating with her slowly as the other skaters on the floor passed them by. It felt good holding her hand and being close to her. She was good company. For an hour and a half, he skated with her until they decided to take a break and sit down. While she sat down, he went to get them a soda. He was having a really good time with Monica and couldn't wait to get back over to her. When he turned around with the sodas in his hand, he saw John sitting next to Monica and instantly became angry. He wished that he and Joey hadn't mentioned going skating in front of him. He gritted his teeth and went back over to Monica. As he approached them, John looked up at Chandler and glared at him. Chandler glared back and handed Monica her soda.  
  
When Monica was finished with her soda, she and John got up to skate, leaving Chandler sitting there glaring at John. As soon as they made their way on to the floor, Phoebe and Rachel came and sat by Chandler. They all looked at Monica skating with John.  
  
"I don't like him." Rachel said.  
  
"Me either. I don't know why. It's just something about him." Phoebe said.  
  
Chandler looked at the two of them, kinda surprised.  
  
"I thought I was the only one who felt like that."  
  
"Nope." Rachel said.  
  
"Why don't you like him?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"He's only after one thing."  
  
"How do you know? Did he tell you that?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Snake." Rachel said.  
  
"I don't know how to tell her." Chandler said.  
  
"Someone should go over there and push him." Phoebe said.  
  
"I would do it, but he's skating with Mon."  
  
"She should know how to skate." Phoebe said.  
  
Chandler and Rachel looked at her and laughed. Twenty minutes later, Monica and John made their way back over to the bench where Chandler was sitting with Phoebe and Rachel. They got up to skate as soon as they noticed them heading in their direction. After five minutes of sitting next to them, Chandler got up to go talk to Joey, who was eating as usual. He noticed the expression on Chandler's face as he approached him.  
  
"What's with the face?" Joey asked.  
  
"Nothing." Chandler said angrily.  
  
"Oh, John's here."  
  
"I hate him." Chandler said.  
  
"You got it bad." Joey said smiling.  
  
"I know, I can't stand him."  
  
"I'm talking about Monica."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Chandler, we had this conversation before. I know you like her."  
  
"Yeah, as a friend, like I told you before."  
  
"I don't believe you Chandler."  
  
"Fine, okay. I like her."  
  
"Well, make a move on her."  
  
"I'm not gonna just make a move on her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"She has a boyfriend, and.....  
  
"And what?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"I'll make a move on her, and tell her it's from you."  
  
"Joey!"  
  
"What, I'm just trying to help out."  
  
"That's okay. I don't need any help."  
  
"Sounds to me like you do."  
  
When they were ready to leave, they turned in their skates. Chandler and John were the last to turn in their skates. Chandler didn't say anything to him until he was about to leave.  
  
"Remember what I said about Mon." Chandler said.  
  
"Chandler, go to hell."  
  
Chandler pushed him hard and he fell. When John got up off the floor, Joey ran over and stood in between them.  
  
"Come on Chandler." Joey said.  
  
John glared at Chandler and walked away.  
  
"Chandler, you have to keep it together man."  
  
"I know. Where's Monica?"  
  
"She's in the car with Phoebe and Rachel."  
  
"Good."  
  
Later that night, once Chandler was home, he sat at his desk thinking about Monica. He was glad that Monica was in the car when Chandler pushed her boyfriend. He would have had to explain why he lost his temper. He was having a great time until John showed up. He didn't know how much longer he could take seeing them together, knowing that John wasn't interested in her, but what he could get from her. He knew that he had to tell Monica what her boyfriend's real intentions were, but didn't know how to bring it up.  
  
Monica was sitting on her bed about to write in her diary until the phone rang. At first she wasn't going to answer it, but something told her to pick up the phone.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hi, can I speak to Monica?"  
  
"This is Monica."  
  
"And this is Chandler."  
  
"Hey Chandler. How'd you get my number?"  
  
"Rachel gave it to me."  
  
"Oh." Monica said smiling.  
  
"So, what were you doing?" Chandler asked.  
  
"Nothing, you?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Boy, I talk too much don't I?" Chandler asked.  
  
"Yeah, I was just about to tell you that." Monica teased.  
  
"So, did you have fun tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, I really did. Thanks for skating with me."  
  
"I didn't mind."  
  
"But you barely got to skate like you wanted to."  
  
"That's not true." He said softly.  
  
Monica covered her face with her hand. She couldn't believe she was actually talking to Chandler Bing on the phone. He sounded so cute.   
  
"Thanks again."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"So, what are you and Joey doing for the rest of the weekend?"  
  
"Why? Are you and Rachel coming to get us?"  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"I know, that's why I said it."  
  
"You are too much." Monica said laughing.  
  
"Why thank you." Chandler said in a deep weird voice.  
  
"Are you always this much fun?" Monica asked.  
  
"Not really. I'm usually pretty dull."  
  
"Yeah right. That's why you're one of the most popular guys in school?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay." Monica said laughing.  
  
Monica stayed on the phone with Chandler for over two hours. She couldn't remember a time where she laughed so hard or so much. She really liked being his friend. She couldn't believe that she was actually hanging out with two of the cutest and most popular guys in school. It felt great. They weren't superficial like many people perceived them to be. When she got off the phone with Chandler, she went back over to her bed and began writing in her diary. She had a lot more to write about this time.  
  
I'm sitting here, feeling better than I have in years. I finally feel like somebody. Of course I still have some insecurities. I think everybody does. It's not just the losing weight, but its the qualities within me that I'm starting to appreciate. I'm beginning to take a good hard look at myself, and I like what I see. I see a lot of good things about myself that I've never realized before, because I had such a low opinion of myself. I like having other friends. Even though I have a major crush on Chandler, I can deal with just being his friend. It's not like a have much of a choice in the matter. I wanted him to notice me, and now he does. Tonight, when he took my hand, my heart starting racing, and it felt as if I would faint. I melt when I look into his gorgeous blue eyes, and cute smile, and being near him. I know that I have a boyfriend and everything, but he has nothing on Chandler. He would never be the kind of person he is. Sure John is cute, but that's all I see in him. He's nice too, but some of the things that he says to me, sounds a little rehearsed. When Chandler compliments me, it seems as though his words are coming from the heart. I told Phoebe and Rachel that I'll probably get over Chandler one day, but I'm not sure if I ever believe that myself. His charm and sense of humor are such a turn on.  
  
Now that I know him on a more personal level, I see how great he is. I liked him from a far, but now I like him even better up close. He's a good friend and I like having him around. On the way back home from the skating ring, I noticed how quiet he was. I meant to ask him about that. He seemed a little mad about something. I've never seen him like that before. I don't know, maybe I'm making too much out of it. Look at me, I talk about Chandler in here more than I talk about my boyfriend. I can't help it. Chandler has so many more appealing qualities than any guy I know. He's funny, smart, kind, gorgeous, sweet, charming, caring, honest. I can go on and on. I often daydream about kissing him and being in his arms. I know it'll probably never happen, but I like thinking about it. I was surprised that he called me tonight. Sometimes I wonder what made him notice me. Other guys have taken notice only because I lost weight, but not him. He noticed me before I lost weight.  
  
Sometimes when he's joking around, I can hear the pain in his voice, which I think he uses to hide how miserable he is. When we talk, it's like I can easily see into his soul and he allows me to. I think he appreciates that I listen. It's the least I can do for him taking up for me. I still feel bad that he and Jeff aren't friends anymore. He told me that them not being friends anymore isn't my fault, but I feel like it is. He didn't tell me, but that night at the party, Jeff was saying some negative things about me, and Chandler came to my defense. I still wonder what made him stick up for me. It's one of the many question I have to ask him. One thing's for sure, Chandler's everything I want in guy, but can't have.  
  
I had a dream about him the other night. I don't remember much about the dream, except for me being in his arms. We were at his house sitting on his bed watching something on tv. I was sitting in between his legs and he had his arms wrapped around me. I had my head leaned back against his shoulder and he lightly kissed my neck. It's amazing, because I don't remember how the dream began or ended. Then again, my dreams are always like that. I know I said that I can deal with being just his friend, but I still wish that I was his girlfriend. Feeling like this about him, I shouldn't be with John. It's not fair to him. I thought by going out with him, it would make me less interested in Chandler, but I was wrong. I should have know better.  
  
I've had crushes on guys before, but not like this. Makes me wonder if this crush will turn into more than a crush. Or maybe I'm just worrying too much. I think I should just accept the fact that Chandler is just my friend and will be nothing more than that. I should just concentrate on being his friend. It'll be hard, but I think I can manage it. I have so far. We didn't even talk last year around this time. I remember sitting at my desk wishing that he'd come over to my desk and borrow a pen or some paper. Now we're getting close so I shouldn't complain, and try my best not to think about him so much.  
  
Monica put her diary away and put her pen back in the desk drawer. She changed into her pajamas and got into bed. When she closed her eyes, she saw Chandler reaching for her hand when they stepped into the skating ring. She turned on her left side and closed her eyes again, but this time, she saw Chandler smiling at her from across the lunch room. She wondered if she'd be able to sleep tonight with Chandler so heavy on her mind. She was beginning to think about him more and more, ever since they became friends. He was on her mind constantly now. She sat up in bed, frustrated because she couldn't sleep, or get Chandler off her mind. After sitting up in the dark for ten minutes, she laid back down, and finally drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
NEXT UP.......BEING THERE 


End file.
